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The following release is provided for our media friends. For additional information, email publicity@impactpublishers.com. The
Moment that Changed Everything:
Letting
the Spirit Blaze Life's Trail
Arun
Gandhi was an obstinate, unmotivated youth, a disappointment to his
father and no credit to his legendary grandfather, Mahatma. At 12, he
was consumed by anger, a victim of apartheid in his South African
hometown and far from the leader in the international peace movement he
would become. Then his father sent him to live with Mahatma in India.
Slowly, patiently, over the two-year period before his assassination in
1948, the elder Gandhi guided Arun to an understanding of how to use his
anger constructively. It was the beginning of a spiritual and
psychological transformation that formed his life’s mission: to
continue Mahatma Gandhi’s work. What
is a spiritual transformation,
and how do you know when you’ve had such an experience?
“Spirituality is often viewed as a journey, an odyssey, an expedition
into the meaning of life,” observe noted psychologists Jeffrey Kottler
and Jon Carlson. “With changes and instability in our lives, we try to
find something that is solid, something that grounds us in our most
honored values. The deepest roots of such a journey are found in the
spiritual traditions of many cultures.” Kottler
and Carlson wrote Moved by the Spirit: Discovery and Transformation in the Lives of
Leaders to illuminate the diverse ways people discover meaning,
wholeness, harmony, and connection with others. They interviewed
prominent writers, spiritual leaders, and healers, asking them to
discuss the single most transformative experience of their lives.
“During these conversations, we also asked them about their most
cherished beliefs regarding being ‘moved by the spirit,’” the
authors add, “and how people can make spirituality more suited to
their individual needs, interests, and lifestyles.” Bringing
their combined expertise to profoundly personal material, Kottler and
Carlson offer a prism of sound psychological insights through which many
forms of spiritual truth shine. In clear, compelling prose, Moved
by the Spirit focuses on stories,
vivid and dramatic narratives reflecting key dimensions of
enlightenment. Contributors include:
“Spirituality
is a way of experiencing life, so that your awareness deepens and you
become more fully alive,” Kottler and Carlson emphasize. “In all its
various forms and manifestations, spirituality moves people to go beyond
what we ever thought possible.” Jeffrey A. Kottler is the author of over 70 books in the fields of counseling, psychology, and education, including Making Changes Last, On Being a Therapist, and Divine Madness. Dr. Kottler is Professor and Chair of the Counseling Department at California State University, Fullerton. Jon Carlson, Psy.D., Ed.D., ABPP, is a Distinguished Professor in Psychology and Counseling at Governors State University in University Park, Illinois and a Psychologist at the Wellness Clinic in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Dr. Carlson has published 40 books, 150 professional articles and 200 commercial videotapes/DVDs. _________________________________________________________________
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